Various storage devices have been used for storing items in or on motor vehicles, including containers such as boxes and drawers, a number of which have been fixed or attached to the vehicle. Such storage devices have been used to store a wide range of items including tools, parts, materials, and the like. A number of different storage devices have been used in particular compartments of the motor vehicle, such as the bed of a pickup truck.
Certain storage devices have at least partially fulfilled the need to store various items, but have taken up a significant portion of the horizontal area of the compartment of the vehicle. As an example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,215,896; 4,580,827; 4,685,695; 4,938,398; 5,137,322; 5,232,259; 5,713,500, 5,964,492; 6,375,054; and 6,729,514 illustrate a number of different storage apparatuses for mounting within the bed of a pickup truck that take up at least a significant portion of the bed of the pickup truck. Because such storage devices occupy a significant portion of the horizontal area of the compartment or bed, these devices interfere with the vehicle being able to transport certain items that otherwise would fit into the compartment or bed. As an example, some storage devices prevent the vehicle from being able to transport quads, a stack of drywall, a stack of plywood, particular sizes of lumber, or the like.
Storage devices for vehicles have been contemplated that are flat, and thus do not reduce the horizontal area of the compartment or bed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,305,695; 4,573,731; 5,845,952, and 6,328,364 illustrate flat drawers that may be installed in the bed of a pickup truck, for example. However, such prior art storage devices made it difficult to roll or slide cargo on top of them, from the tail gate, for instance. Further, dirt, or fine cargo such as sand placed on top of the prior art storage devices may penetrate into or around the storage devices. Further, many prior art storage devices either extended above the wheel wells of the vehicle, taking up too much of the vertical space of the bed, or occupied only the space between the wheel wells, creating an uneven surface or a low or hollow area in front of and behind the wheel well, where cargo or foreign material could get stuck, jam the storage device, or the like.
Further, many different vehicles, such as pickup trucks, are manufactured by different manufacturers. Although different vehicles may be similar in many respects and in approximate size, the storage compartments or beds of different vehicles often have different dimensions, even if only slightly different. Thus, storage systems, devices, and apparatuses for such vehicles may have been sized for a particular vehicle or set of vehicles, or various compromises may have been made so that one size storage device would be able to accommodate the different dimensions of different vehicles. This limited the design of such storage systems, devices, and apparatuses in many respects, increased cost, and the like.
Therefore, a need exists for systems, devices, apparatuses, and units for storing items within a vehicle that take away little or no horizontal space from the compartment of the vehicle in which they are located, that facilitate sliding or rolling cargo onto the devices, that at-least partially prevent dirt or fine cargo located on top of the devices from getting into or around the devices, that prevent cargo or foreign material from getting stuck around wheel wells, or a combination thereof. Further, a need exists for such devices to be able to support significant loads, be of reasonable cost, and provide for storage of a variety of items in an organized fashion. Still further, a need exists for methods of manufacturing, distributing, installing, and using, such systems and devices. Even further, a need exists for such devices that can fit into a number of different vehicles with different dimensions, and yet provide for at least some use of common parts and components. Potential for improvement exists in these and other areas that may be apparent to a person of skill in the art having studied this document.